TruCCOMS: real-time continuous cardiac output?

Introduction

Omega Critical Care has introduced the truCCOMS system to address the need for a rapid and accurate cardiac output monitor. This monitor relates blood flow to the power required to maintain a fixed temperature difference between a coil on a pulmonary artery catheter and that of the surrounding blood. The system was tested to assess their claims of accuracy and speed.

Methods

To test for accuracy, four truCCOMS catheters were tested against the reference values of a Transonic T201 flowmeter using pulsatile flow provided by a Syncardia Systems artificial heart connected to a Donovan mock circulation tank generating flows between 1 and 8 l/min. Additionally, response time was monitored for abrupt changes in flow from 3 to 6 l/min and compared with an Edwards continuous cardiac output catheter.

Results

Measured flows from the truCCOMS unit, properly corrected for thermodynamic differences between blood and the glycerine used, show accurate correlation with Transonic values as seen in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the substantial improvement in response time provided by the truCCOMS system.

Figure 1

Measured accuracy of the truCCOMS device. CO, cardiac output.

Figure 2

Response time: truCCOMS versus Edwards continuous cardiac output (CCO) catheter.

Conclusion

Our results show that the principles used in the truCCOMS monitor can provide accurate measurement of cardiac output. More importantly, it provides this measurement in near real-time. Clinical studies should confirm these results. This system promises to be an accurate and responsive monitor in the clinical setting.